Process of bleaching rice



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ALFRED LAsAUx, or new ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

PROCESS OF BLEAOHING RICE\' arson-roams tamin part or was mt Io.570,000, dated Eebrnary e, 1807. Application M July :0. 1m. Intel no.man.

To all, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Gsoaos ALI-nan La- NAUX, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in P ofBleaching Rice; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same.

To enable those skilled in the art to use my invention, I shall. nowexplain my newly-invented process of bleaching rice.

The hnlling is done by means of stones or any other suitable means. Therice after being hulled by the stones is then ready to go to thepounders', to the Engleberg hullers, or to any other huller or machineto have the bran removed and then td the brushes or to the polishers,where the rice-grains receive a finish polish, which leaves it in aclean state. I can make the application of my bleaching compound priorto the removal of the bran, or during t e process of removing the bran,or after the bran has been removed, or while the rice is passing throughthe brushes or polishers, or to rice which has already been brushed orpolished.

The grade of rice which my improved process particularly relates to fortreatment is what is known as of! or red rice, the grains being 05 whitewith a reddish tint, which commands a lower price than strictly clean orwhite rice.

By the use of my bleaching process I clean and whiten the grains so thatthe quality of the rice is greatly improved and com mcrciall y renderedmore valuable.

I use the following materials in my bleaching process: bluing, sol'tstony powders, and oil. Of these materials are preferredultramarine-bluing, French chalk, (also known as soapstone talc,) ricepolish, powdered limc, powdered starch,wheat-flou r, rice-flour,whitcchalk, or any other white powder which can be had in a fine powderedcondition. I prefer petrol-oil, by which term I mean aliquid petroleumproduct .870" specific gravity. The mixtures of these materials arecontrolled by the conditions and quality of the rice to be treated. Forthe ordinary red rice, usually termed rod rice, the following:proportions would be used: one ounce three drams titteen grains ofpowdered soapstone or wheatflour, one-half grain ultramarine-bluing, andabout ten drops petrol-oil.

It will sometimes be found necessary to use the white powders and bluingand not the oil, acc rding to the quality of the rice.

For cleaned rices which have been through the usual-process of cleaningfor the market I would use usually, say for twelve ounces, avoirdupoisweight, of rice, one scruple and thirteen grains of mixture; for tenpounds of rice, seven drums and nine grains, or equivalent of littleless than one ounce, avoirdupois weight. For one barrel of rice,weighing net three hundred and fifty pounds, put in two pounds ofmixture which would contain less than nine grains of ultramarine-bluing.In treating rices which have already had the bran removed and the grainshave not been polished or finished ready for the market I increase theultramarlne-bluing to the quantity of one and one-half grains instead ofonehalf grain and the petrol-oil to twent -tive drops instead of tendrops. I then app y the mixture, a's altered, in the same proportion ofthe other compound as I do on cleaned riees. To apply the bleachingmixtures to the ricegrains, I put the mixture in a shaker, preferably,and sprinkle it on the grains. This mode of application I do not confinemyself to, as it may be applied to the riee-grains in any other suitablemanner. When the mixtnre has been applied to the rice-grains, then therice-grains are to be rebrushed or not, as the quality of the rice mayrequire; but for rice which has had the bran removed and has not beenbrushed or polished then it is absolutely necessary that this riceshould be well brushed and polished to make it marketable. During thebrushing and polishing otithe rice the grains free themselves of allforeign substances which are present, thereby leaving the rice-grainssmooth and clean.

My bleaching process and mixtures are applicable to any kind of rice,but more particularly to oil, red, or may rices, and does not penetratethe grain, but effects and acts directly and superficially on itsenamel, which it blcachcs, giving it n smootlnwhite, and high andbleaching rice, consisting in applying to polish, which greatly improvestho actual and commercial value of the riee. When flees are tobe held orstored lorany length of tin the grains are protected from the attack 0weevils by the fact 0! the enamel of the grain being in such goodcondition, resulting from the treatment received from my process ofbleaching. i I

Having described my invention, what I claim isl. The herein-describedprocess of cleaning the rice-grains a-mixtuze otbln ing, whitepolishingpowder nnd oil,.and finally brush 7 itng'hnnd polishing therioc,lnll1e manner so! 2. A' compound for cleaning and bleaching .rloo,consisting of nltramnrine-blulng, m

stone and petrol-oil, compounded substan tially in the mnnne rnnd'thoproportion; s

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub scribed my name'inthepresenceof two wit GEORGE ALFRED LANAUX. wllll 5 v Gus'mvn .V. Bonn-r, Loon;Rzniel'mnms.

